Mechanism for and method of threading yarn carriers



Jan. 17, 1928. 1,656,815 w. BIXBY MECHANISM FOR AND METHOD OF THREADING YARN CARRIERS Filed June 15, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 m co WQ/Z EWBZ JU by, 7134 M, Emf, 51 T Jan. 17, 1928. 1,656,815

MECHANISM FOR AND METHOD OF THREADING YARN CARRIERS W. BIXBY Filed June 15, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 17, 1928. 1,656,815 w. BIXBY MECHANISM FOR AND METHOD OF THREADING YARN CARRIERS Filed June 13, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 17, 1928.

WALTER BIXBY, OFDORCEEESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOK T SHAWM'UT ENGI- l iElEl SACHUSEITEB.

MEG COMPANY, OF DQBGHESTEIL, MAESACI-IUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAS- MECHANISM FOR AND METHOD CF TI-IREADING- YARN CARRIERS.

. Application filed June 13, 1925. Serial No. 36,982.

My invention relates to carpet manufacture and aims to provide. improved mechanism for and methods of placing or laying the tufting yarns in. yarn carriers or tube frames, particularly of the type equipped width wallor slot-threading receivers or tubes, as contrasted with those through which the yarns must be inserted or drawn by pass ing their ends through the tube bores. Also included among the objects of my'invcntion is the provision ofan improved receiver or tube of said wallor slotthreading type, claims for which are contained in my divisional application Serial No. 151,697, tiled November 30, 1926.

In the drawings showing by Way of illustration one form of mechanism embodying my invention and adapted for use in practicing the method thereof:

Fig. 'l. is a plan view of the yarn placing mechanism with a yarn carrier in position thereon;

Fig. 2 a vertical transverse section through the mechanism of Fig. 1, looking toward the left in said figure, the parts being in their starting position;

ll 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the parts in the position which they assume subsequent to the yarn laying and trimming operations,the yarn spool having been transferred to its position upon the carrier or tube frame;

Figs. 4, and 6 are respectively a plan view and opposite side elevations, upon a larger scale, of the improved yarn receiver or tube and Fig. l is a detail view in end elevation showing the control mechanism.

Ref rring first to Figs. 4; to 6, the yarn receiver or tube there shown, and also seen uponv a smaller scale in Figs. to 3, is'of the wallor slot-threading or Open-side type and constitutes an improvement upon the device of the patentto Perry No. 1,520,595, dated December 253. 192%. The tube, indicated as awhole at 1, is formed from a suitably shaped blank, preferably of sheet metal, which is folded into a generally tubular form. The side edges of the blank are so termed and spaced as to provide an undulatory slot 2 extending the length of the enclosed portion of the tube in a Wall or walls thereof.

As best seen in Fig. 4 said slotleads from the trough or mouth 3 of the tube, extending I first transversely and herein diagonally across the upper wall i from a point adjacent one side wall 5 and then down and along the opposite side wall 6. Said last mentioned side wall 6 desirably projects longitudinally somewhat beyond the other side wall. 5, as indicated at 7, see particularly Fig. 6, and merges into a lip or guide 8 extending toward the opposite side of the tube and in substantially the same plane with the top wall t of the latter.

Said guide 8 will engage a yarn which is drawn lengthwise along and above the tube and, cooperating with the adjacent inclined edge 9 at the mouth of the slot, will posi tively compelthe yarn to enter the slot instead of slipping off to either side of the tube, as may frequently happen with a tube such as that of the Perry patent wherein the slot mouth is in a side wall. The yarn may therefore be drawn directly in alignment with the tube, and no transverse movement of or pull upon the yarn is required to cause it to enter the slot, as would be necessary in the absence of some such guidingv or retaining member as the lip 8 herein. Said lip, which preferably extends upwardly at least to the level of the top wall of the tube and is desirably int-urned, also assists in retaining the yarn in the tube who threaded. i

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 8, series of the tubes 1 is supported on a suitable carrier bar 10 provided with hearing supports 11 for one or more spools. Said tubes, carrierbar and spool supports constitute socalled yarn carrier or tube frame, herein illustrated as holding but one spool 12, the

threading mechanism being of a correspond ing length. Ob vio,usly,however, the mechanism and method of my present invention are applicable equally well to Wide work where a tube frame capable of holding two, three, or more spools is employed as, for 0x ample, in the patents to Hathaway and The yarn spool 12 is positioned prepara-v tory to and during the lirst stage of the yarn laying operation in suitable spool holders in brackets 17 projecting forwardly from the machine frame. 'Said holders include the opposedcups 18, 19 rotatable in said brackets and provided \vithcircumferential'teeth 20 meshing with pinions 21, Figs; 2 and 3, )referably one adjacent each of said cups 18, 19 and fixed on an adjusting shaft 22 also rotatably supported upon said brackets. Said shaft may beturned as by the hand Wheel 23, Fig. 1, manually to take up the slack in or adjust the tension of the yarns, the spool being prevented from turning in said cups 18, 19 as by means of the spring-pressed pin i-l engageable with a corresponding recess in the adjacent spool head. Said adjusting shaft and connections for manual adjustment of the cups may be substantially as shown in the patent to Lea 1,191,109, dated July 11, 1916.

Preferably means is provided to turn the cups 18, 19 and the spool supported therein automatically at certain times. As herein illustrated, the cup 18 at the left, Fig. 1, has an axial stem or stub shaft extending outwardly beyond the adjacent part of the bracket 17. Loosely 'sm'rounding said stub shaft is a gear 26 having a. hub 27 to tatable in said bracket. .ietween the adjacent faces of the cup and of said gear a friction member or disk 28 surrounding a hub portion 29 on the cup and seating Within a rcc-essin the gear.

The outer end of said-stubshaft is threaded to receive a nut ill intermediate which and the outer face the gear huh I is a coil spring ill. lly means of said not the tension of said spring may be adjusted so as to hold the cup and friction disl-c against the gear under the desired pressure. preferably just sufficient to prevent undesired turning movement of the cups and spool, and to cause them to be rotated with the gear 26 When the latter is driven. Said spool and its cups may, however, be turned relatively to the gear 26 to take up any slack in the yarns through the medium of the hand wheel previously mentioned.

It will be understood that by means of said; gear 26 the tension upon the yarn during laying thereof may be governed or cont-rolled, herein antonmt-ica-lly, said gear being driven in any suitable manner, herein by the gear segment 32, more fully described later. Dependent upon the speed of turning thus imparted to the spool the yarn tension may be decreased to any desired extent or wholly neutralized.

lhe yarn ends 31 are held in the desired spaced relation by a suitable clamp or spacer 35, Figs. 2 and 3, the latter beingsupporb ed for the threading operation in a clamp holder 36 extending longitudinally of the machine. The yarns then extend upwardly from the spool in the spool holders of the machine, substantially in the manner shown in Fig. 2, passing over the tube frame and directly above and across the inner ends of the respective tubes it. It now the yarns and the tube frame be moved relatively to each other in a direction longitudinally of the tubes, the individual yarns will be engagiird with the slots of the respective tubes and be laid or threaded said slots.

In the present instance said clamp holder 235 is adapted to be moved while the tubes are held stationary and for this purpose it is mounted on arms ll) keyed upon a rock shaft 111 having suitable hearings in the side frame members. The clamp holder and clamp supported therein are thus 1novable to the desired extent relatively to the tube frame, preferably through a distance approximately equal to or somewhat exceeding the length of the tubes, so that the yarns are drawn entirely through the slots in the latter and thus passed into the tube bores.

Any suitable means may be employed for ell'ecting said movement of the clamp holder, said means herein including, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, a floating link -12 pi voted at -l2l to the arm it) at the left of the machine as viewed in F 1 and at its opposite end pivotally connected at *llto a lever 4-5 supported for rocking movement on a shaft in extending between the side frame members. Said lever l5 carries a cum roll ll travelling in acam path as formed in one side face of a cam all). F uid cam is tired upon a drive or cam slmft no to which the power may be applied. Said cam path is formed to provide the desired movenumt oi the clamp holder, the latter being prefer ably moved inwardly, toward the right in Figs. 2 and 3, during one half revolution of the cam and returned during the succeeding half revolution.

As previously stated, it is desirable positi'vely to turn the spool during the yarn placing orlhreading operation to govern the yarn tension, and for this purpose the gear segment 32 above referred to and which meshes with the gear 26 is mounted on an arm 51 also rotatably supported by the haft 1-1; and desirably formed integral y into the latter through l till with the lever 45 so as likewise to be controlled by the cam a9. It will thus be seen that during moven'ient of the clamp holder to lay the yarns in the tubes the gear mcnt 32 will simultaneously be moved up ardly at a proportionate speed, rotating the spool in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 2 and 8 and unwinding the yarn. The tension upon the'yarn is thus controllable, the yarn being fed oil from the spool at the desired rate to keep it slack or to prevent any such tension thereon as might withdraw the yarn ends from the clamp.

The series of threaded yarn ends are desirably trimmed by suitable mechanism. Prior to such trinnning operationthe machine is preferably stopped autoi'natically and the spool 12 removed from its holders on the machine. as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and transferred into its bearing: supports 11 upon the tube frame, as indicated in Fig. 3. The yarns may then be trimmed without danger of disarranging them by a subsequent shifting); of the spool.

The trimming mechanism herein includes a fixed blade extendinglongitudinally along the tube frame support, and a cooperating movable blade 56. Said movable blade is carried by a cross piece 57 secured at itsopposite ends to the vertically movable bars 58 having suitable bearings and guides 59. 60 upon the side frame members. One or both of said bars, herein that at the left of the machine as viewed in Fig. 1, is formed as a rack, see Figs. 2 and 3, haviiig teeth (31 with which meshes a gear segment 62 on lever arm 63 formed as one arm of abell crank mounted for rooking'movement on a shaft 64-, also supported in the frame. The other arm 65 of said bell crank carries at its outer end a cam roll 66 movable in a cam path 67 vformed in a suitable cam upon the cam shaft 50. As herein illustrated said cam path 67 and the am path 48 previously mentioned are formed upon the opposite I side faces of the same cam 49, although obfit) i d esi red.

viously separate cams may be employed if The parts last. described are constructed and arranged properly to time the movements of the blade 56. desirably so that the shearing: takes place shortly after the completion of the yarn laying operation and with the parts substantially in the {)OF-lltllfill illustrated in Fig. 3, themachine beingmd mentarily stopped between the yarn laying and the shearing rmerations to permit the spool to be shifted onto the tube frame. With the parts positioned as shown in Fig. 3 continued operation of the machine will again lift the movable knife and return the clamp holder to the starting position, shown in Fig. 2, where it is ready to receive the clamp ot the next spool. The spool. turning mechanism is also restoredto its original. position, as in said Fig. 2.

While power may be applied to the shaft 50 by any suitable means I have herein shown, see particularly Figs- 1 and 7, an improved dri vineand control mechanism which is adapted for general use but which cooperates particularly with the yarn laying mechanism herein disclosed. Said mechanism includes a power receiving element illustrated as a loose pulley 70 mounted upon the outer end of said shaft 50 and driven in any suitable manner at the desired speed. Upon its inner face it is formed with a circumferential series of laterally projecting lugs 72 adapted to take against a finger 73 carried by a pivoted yoke T l. straddling a sleeve 75 secured to the shaftlitl. Said yoke pressed toward the loose pulley as by means of a spring 76 intermediate the sleeve and an car 77 on the yoke.

hen the finger 73 is permitted to move, under influence of its spring. to the right in Fig. 1 and into the path of the lugs 72, it will be engaged by one of the latter. and carried around with it, thereby imparting rotation to the cam shaft 50 to whichthe finger is secured through. the yoke 74 and sleeve 75. If; however. the finger is held out of the path of the lugs 72, as shown in Fig. 1, no movement will be imparted to the shaft 50 and the machine will remain stationary.

To control said finger there is provided a hand lever 78 pivotally supported at 79 upon a boss 80 on the adjacent side frame. Secured to said lever are a pair of yoke-like arms 81. 82, see Fig. 7 provided at their outer ends with cams 83, 84 respectively movable radially of the shaft into and out of the path of the inner 73 by movement of the lever 78 in one or the opposite directions.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 7 the control lever 78 is down. and the cam Set is moved in toward the shaft, holding the finger 73 out of engagement. To start the machine the lever is moved by the operator to its other position, that up. The cam '84 is thereby withdrawn. while the other cam 83 is moved into the path of the linger. The latter. thrown toward the pulley by its spring, will he engaged and carriedaround by the next approaching lug 72, in a countercloclmvise direction, Fig. 7. turning; the shaft 50. At the end of approximately a half revolntion of the shaft. the hunger 73 will come into engagement with the am 83 and thercb be withdrawn from engagement with the lug 72. The machine accordingly is stopped automatically.

The arrangement of the earns 83, 84: is desirably such that said automatic stopping of the machine occurs just after the yarns have been laid in the tubes but bef re th y have been trimmed. that s. just Iii) prior to the position of the parts illustrated in Fig. The operative may then remove the spool from its holders on the machine and install it on the tube frame, as shown insaid Fig. 3. To complete the operation, the operative moves the control lever 78 in the opposite direction, that is, down, withdrawing the cam 83 and again moving the cam 84: in. The finger will then be engaged by the next lug 7 2 and carried round a further half revolution until again moved out by the cam 84:, again stopping the machine. During said last half revolution the yarns are trimmed and the various parts are returned to the position of Figs. 1,2 and 7, readyfor placing and trimming the. yarns of the next spool. The control lever 78 is releasably held in either of its positions as by the spring 85 nponthe machine frame l'iaving seats respectively receiving the stop 86 on the lever in one or the other of its positions.

It will'thus be seen that by the simple driving connections and control means described the machine may be started by the operative under his manual control and that it will automatically be stopped at the desired time, herein just prior to trimming of theyarns. Opposite movement of the same control lever will again start the machine, which completes its cycle of operations, the parts returning to their original position ready for the next cycle, and again automatically stopping. Obviously the movements above described may be otherwise arranged and timed or the complete cycle performed without stopping the machine, if desired. It will be understood that while I have illustrated an improved form of so-called self-threading or. wall threading yarn or thread receiver the threading mechanism and method are equally applicable for use with any receiver adapted to have the yarn or thread passed through a wall thereof, such for example asin. said patent to Perry, or in the patent to. Johnson 1,561,433, dated Novenr her 110, 1.925, whether such recciver has an open slot as in the Perry 1 ate nt or a. closed 01 partly closed slot or slit the walls of which are to besprung apart inthreading, as in the Johnson patent. The improved receiver or'tulim and tube frame, herein illustrated are claimed in my divisional application, Serial No. 151,697.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiment shown and described herein, its scope being set forth in the following claims.

Claims.

ljlitlechanism for use in carpet manufacture for placing yarns in a tube frame having tubes of the slotted type, comprising in combination with a series of slotted tubes and their frame, a support for said frame,

therefor, means supporting said holder for movement lengthwise the tubes, cam means,

and link connections therewith for operat ing said holder supporting n' eans.

h'lechanism for use in carpet manufacture for placing the tufting yarns in the slotted tubes of a tube frame, comprising a support for the tube frame, spool holding means, a yarn spacing clamp and a holder therefor, means supporting said holder for movement lengthwise the tubes, cam means, and link connections therewith for operating said holder supporting means and for turning said spool holding means during movement of said holder.

. l. lliiechanism for use in carpet manufacture for placing the tufting yarns in tho slotted tubes of a tube frame, comln'ising a support for the tube frame, spool holding means, a yarn spacing clamp and a holder therefor, means supporting said holder for movement lengthwise the tubes, and means for moving said holder.

5. ldechanism for use in carpet manufacture for placing the tufting yarns in the slotted tubes of a tube fame, comprising a support for the tube frame, spool holding means, a yarn spacing clamp and a holder therefor, means supporting said holder-for movement lengthwise the tubes, means for moving said holder, and means for trimn'ling the yarn ends. i

6. Mechanism for use in carpet manufao ture for placing the tufting yarns in the slotted tubes of a tube fran'ie, comprising a support for the tube frame, spool holding means, a yarn syncing clamp and a holder therefor, means supporting said holder for movement lrngthwiete tho lulu means for moving said holder and uicaxhanism frat turrr iug said spool holding means during movement of said holder.

7. Mechanism for uscin carpet inamihicture for placing the tufting yarns in the slotted tubes of a tube frame, comprising a support for the tube frame, spool holding means, a yarn spacing clamp and a holder therefor, means supporting said holder for movement lengthwise the tubes, means for moving said holder, mechanism for turning said spool holding means during movement of said holder, and means for triinn'iing the yarn ends.

Illll 8. Mechanism for laying yarns in a yarn carrier having receivers 01 the slotted type,

comprising a supporttor the yarn carrier, at yarn-end spacer and a. holder therefor, and means for moving said holder so as to draw the yarns along the respective receivers and lay them therein.

9. lvlechanisni for laying yarns in a yarn carrier having receivers of the slotted type, comprising a support for the yarn carrier, spool holding means, a yarnsend spacing clamp, a clamp holder, and means for producing relative movement ol said carrier and clamp holder thereby to lay the yarns in the respective receivers.

10. Mechanism for laying yarns in a tube frame having tubes oil the slotted type, comprising a support for the tube frame, a yarn clamp, and means to produce relative movement of the tube it *ame and clamp thereby to lay the yarns in the respective tubes through the slots thereof.

l1. Mechanism for laying yarns in the slotted receivers of a yarn carrier, compris ing a carrier support, a yarn spacer and a holder therefor, and means relatively, to move said carrier support and holder thereby to engage and lay the yarns in the respective receivers.

12. Mechanism for laying yarns in the slotted receivers ot a yarn carrier, comprising spool holding means, a carrier support, a yarn end clamp and a holder therefor, and means relatively to move said carrier support and holder thereby to engage and lay the yarns in the respective receivers.

13. IitlQCllEllllSlll for laying yarns in the receivers oi a yarn carrier of the slot-threading type, comprising spool holding means, a carrier support, means to hold the yarn ends in spaced relation, and means relatively to move said carrier support and the yarns thereby to engage and lay the latter in the respective receivers.

l l. hlCCllillllSITl tor laying yarns in the reeeiveirs oi a yarn carrier of theslot=threading type, comprising spool holding means, a carrier support, means to hold the yarn ends in spaced relation, means relatively to move said carrier support and the yarns thereby to engage and lay the latter in the respective receivers, yarn-end trimming .means, means to stop the mechanism subsequent to the laying of the yarns and prior to the operation of saidtrimming means to permit transfer of, the spool from said spool holding means to the yarn carrier, and means for operating saidtrimming means upon subsequent starting of the mechanism.

15. Mechanism for laying yarns in the receivers of a yarn carrier of the slotthreading type, comprising spool holding means, a carrier support, means to hold the yarn ends in spaced relation, means relatively to move said carrier support and the yarns thereby to engage and lay the latter in the respective receivers, yarn-end" trimming means, means to stop the mechanism subsequent to the laying of theyarns andprior to operation oi ---'aid trimming means to permit transfer oi the spool from said spool holding means to the yarn carrier and means for operating said trimming means upon subsequent startii'ig ot the mechanism and for returning the parts to their original or starting position. i

16. li lechanism for laying yarns in the slotted receivers of a yarn carrier, comprising a carrier support, a yarn end clan' p and a hold-er therefor, spool holding means, means relatively to more said carrier support and holder thereby to engage and lay the yarns in the respective receivers, yarncnd trimn'iing means, and means to stop the mechanism subsequent to the laying of the yarns and prior to operation of said trimming means to permit transfer of the spool from said spool holding means to the yarn carrier.

17. Mechanism for laying yarns in a yarn carrier having receivers of the slotted type, comprising a support for the yarn carrier, a yarn end spacing clamp, a clamp holder, means to produce relative movement of the carrier and clamp holder thereby to laythe yarns in the respective receivers through the slots thereof, and means to rotate the spool during the laying operation thereby to govern the yarn tension. i

18. Mechanism for laying yarns in a yarn carrier having receivers of the slotted type, comprising a support forthe yarn carrier, at yarn-end spacer, means to produce relative movement of said carrier and spacer thereby to lay the yarns in the respective receivers through the slots thereof, and means for governing the tension upon the yarn during the laying operation. i

19. In i'ncchanism lior placing yarns in the receivers of a yarn carrier in carpet manu tacturc, the combination with means for placing the yarns, of means mechanically associated with said yarn placing means automatically to turn the spool in a direction to unwind the yarn thereby to reduce or Wholly to neutralize the tension thereon While being placedin the receivers of the carrier.

20. In mechanism for placing yarns in the receivers of a yarn carrier in carpet manufacture, the combination with means "for placing the yarns, of automaticmeans operating during placing of the yarns for positively turning the spool on Which the yarns are Wound thereby to control the ten sion on the yarns at said time. i

21. Mechanism for placing yarns in the receivers of a carrier in carpet manufacture comprising the combination with spool holding means, a carrier support and means to place the yarns in the receivers thereof, of

ment to start or stop the machine, means at a plurality of points about the axis of said power-receiving element for controlling the position of said member, and manual means for operating said controlling means to start the machine and to stop the same after predetermined operating periods and with the machine in a plurality of different positions I 36. in a machine for placing yarns in the tubes of a tube frame including yarn placing and yarn trimming means and a driving shaft for operating the same, the combination therewith ot a power receiving element having a series of lugs arranged about its axis, a member secured to said shaft and. movable into and out of the path of said lugs and engageable by one of said lugs thereby to rotate said shaft, spring means urging said member toward said lugs, and a manually controllable lever provided with a plurality of members at angularly spaced points about the axis of the driving shaft for permitting engagement of said member to start the machine or for disengaging said member to stop the machine in a like plurality of difi'erent positions of the parts.

87. In a machine for placing yarns in the tubes of a tube frame including yarn placing and yarn trimming means and a driving shaft for operating the same, the combination therewith of a power receiving element having a series of lugs arranged about its aX1s, a member secured to said shaft and movable into and out of the path of said lugs and engageable by one of said lugs thereby to rotate said shaft, spring means urging said member toward said lugs, a manually controllable lever provided with means for permitting engagement of said member and for disengaging the same at a selected one of a plurality of angula'rly spaced points about the axis of the drive shaft, thereby to stop the machine after an angular movement of the drive shaft corresponding to the angular spacing of said disengaging means.

In. testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WALTER BIXBY. 

